Hi everybody! I was very happy to find this forum where there is a dedicated section do Dr.Beck, actually I suspected her writings could be more famouse in English and American countries...
I must apologize for any language mistakes I'm making or I'll make in my future posts since I'm Italian and my knowledge of English isn't perfect at all.
Anyway I don't want you to get bored about my personal story of losing weight, so I'll try to be short... I just want to say that for the first time in the last 15 years (I'm 35 years old now) I passed Christmas holidays without regaining some of the weight I lost, and this is the proof that BDS is working for me. I started one year ago reading the pink book and I keep on reading it on and on and on...any time I "feel" I need it. I've lost 8 kilos (about 17 pounds) , but most of all I've learned (and I'm still learning) how to have a good "relationship" with food, how to reply to sabotating thoughts and how to be nice with myself when I make mistakes. I've maintained this weight I reached in september 2012 for months till today, it's not been easy as you may know, but now I feel I need to do something more, to reach my final goal. I'd like to lose at least two kilos more, that is not so much but it's hard and thought having some support from a diet forum and sharing my experience could be helpful.
About my approach to Dr.Beck's Solution, I'd like to say that I didn't follow a specific diet (when I did it in the past it's always been a big failure..) I just calculated the amount of calories I had to eat each day to lose more or less half a kilo per week and this allowed me to never feel deprived about eating because I don't have prohibited foods. Well, I'm vegetarian so my choices in terms of food are always quiet healthy I must admit. I only lhave a rule: don't eat chocolates or sweets after lunch time.
Well, probably I've already written to much, I'd better start reading something of you all trying to give my support as you, I'm sure, will give support to me with your stories.
Thanks from now for reading me.
Kitty

Welcome Kitty (Bootedkitty) - Congrats on those 8 kg lost forever.

It's so neat that you recognize that Cognitive Behavior Therapy can help keep the weight off that you've lost. Especially neat for me to hear because that's exactly what I did. I lost my weight, then discovered The Beck Diet Solution when I was out looking for a way to keep it off.

Kudos for staying the course over Christmas - the "eating season." That takes some dedication. Even our stores are loaded with Italian Pantone Bread as if Christmas required eating more sweet baked goods.

When you are ready to have an online group as your Diet Coach, please feel free to join us over on the monthly thread. There's no admission requirements; just jump in. It's smart not to attempt personal responses right away. If you just post your progress, successes, and set backs, you can benefit from sharing with a supportive group.

Glad you're here.

WELCOME! So glad you posted! The folks here are helpful and supportive. Glad you've already looked to Cognitive Therapy and Dr. Beck's ideas about how to live with food in a healthy manner. I hope you will join us in the monthly thread. Lots of support there, for sure.

Thank you so much for welcoming me! I really need support and most of all, I really want to give my support as long as I can do it!
Today is Sunday, and Sunday in the latest few months till today has always meant: cravings or overeating at my mother's house (I still can't really understand this association...well actually I must say I know why...because for too many years I "emotionally" overate when I was living with my parents... ) and in the evenings during "aperitive" with friends!
That's one of the reasons why all my efforts made during the week (practicing swimming twice, walking 20 minutes during lunch brake almost every day, and saving some calories of my "maintenance budget") normally vanished at weekends!
Well, now I've just finished lunch at my mom's place, and I literally ran here to keep control! Ok, it's done, I stopped eating this time, before it was too late! I can't say I ate exactly what I wanted, but I didn't overate too much this time...so I can give myself credit telling me... well done!
I still have to stay in control tonight during aperitive. I can manage that, I'm sure.
Another difficult situation that made me fall (I'm using past tense on purpuse..even if it still happens... ) is sometimes when my mate (and he is also my diet coach) comes back home late for dinner after gym. Well, in those occasions I usually eat earlier alone and cravings may "attack" me!!! Aaaaahhrrggg!!! I will face this during this week...I'll keep you updated.
Ok, let's have a look at monthly thread now!
Thanks again.
Kitty

Today, it's been a great Monday! I stayed in control yesterday and I'm so proud of myself. I felt phisically ok this morning at work and as planned I went to the swimming pool after work in the evening. I realized, thinking about this forum, while I was exercising, that I never gave myself credit for practicing swimming twice or thrice a week! Well, I guess this is because I've been doing it in the last 8 years, so practicing it is part of my habits and my normal routine..but actually it's not so easy: sometimes I'm tired, sometimes I'd have a hundreds of other things to do or simply I'm not in the mood..and I'd like to get home early, to cook form me and my mate without going to bed too late. But I tell myself uncounsciously that I have no choice. Swimming is part of me. So I deserve to tell myself "well done" for going to the swimming pool today as well! And for sticking to my food plan! Yeah! :-)
Kitty